


Mating Rituals

by BossBot97



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Falling In Love, M/M, No Beta, Sweet Fluff, We Die Like Men, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BossBot97/pseuds/BossBot97
Summary: "What set of mating rituals do you identify with?" Blinkous asked, apropos of nothing.
Relationships: Aaarrrgghh/Blinkous "Blinky" Galadrigal
Comments: 6
Kudos: 95





	Mating Rituals

“Which set of mating rituals do you identify with?” Blinkous asked, apropos of nothing. Aaarrrgghh looked at him with a silent tilt of his head. “Well,” Blinky continued, “the Krubera have very specific rituals for attracting and claiming a mate. Troll Market has many different such proclivities, and I’m certain the Gumgums have their own styles, even if it is likely to be brutish and rough.”

“Gumgums don’t attract. Only _claim_.” Aaarrrgghh used an odd inflection that Blinkous noted, but decided not to comment on for now. “Don’t know Krubera or Troll Market pro-liv-teas.”

“Proclivities: tendencies, things that one is likely to do the same way every time.”

“Proclivities..” Aaarrrgghh rolled the word around in his mouth, getting a feel for it.

“So. What would be likely to gain your attention as an attempt to court?” Blinky rephrased his question, hoping to get a clearer answer. “Or, what would you do to express a courting attempt?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“Who courting, why mate.”

“How many reasons are there to mate?”

“Many. Mainly power”

“Power?” Blinkous thought carefully about how to phrase his next question. “How would you define ‘courting’ and ‘mate’?”

“Courting: Intend to mate for long time with only one. Mate……” Aaarrrgghh thought for several moments before simply giving a particularly vulgar hand motion.

“Ah. I see the confusion. Here, courting means to pay attention and attract someone with the intention of them becoming one's _mate. Mate_ , in this context, means someone to spend the rest of one’s days with. It often comes with the promise of monogamy, but not always. The main feature is love and trust between two or more individuals.”

The larger troll rumbled thoughtfully, processing the new information. “Trust Blinky. Stay with Blinky. Blinky _mate_?” His head tilted, wondering if he’d followed the statements to the appropriate conclusion.

Blinky froze in place and looked at Aaarrrgghh. “Would you want to be my _mate_?”

“ _Mate_ bad?”

“No.” Blinky replied hurriedly, not wanting to discourage the idea. “ _Mate_ simply is more…. commitment than we’d previously discussed.” He paused, realizing that by his definition, they were mates in nearly all but name. They trusted each other. They spent as much time as possible together. Blinky knew he loved Aaarrrgghh, but had no idea how to explain love in a way that would lead his companion to understand if he had it without unduly influencing him either way. “Perhaps you should get other’s points of view before you make a decision.”

“Who?”

“There are several _mated_ trolls in Troll Market, and our human friends may be passable sources of information.”

“Mating bad?”

“No, my good friend, no pleasures of the stone are bad, as long as all parties consent to them.”

Aaarrrgghh nodded silently.

o0o0o

Cuddled under the comforting warmth of the blanket, Aaarrrgghh continued to think about Blinky’s questions as he played video games with Toby. As they finished the current round, Toby didn’t immediately start another. He instead put the controller down and turned to his friend. “So, Aaarrrgghh. What’s on your mind?” The large troll said nothing, feigning ignorance. "Come on, man, something's wrong. Your max combo this round was 10! You can do 10 in your sleep!"

“What’s ‘love’ to Toby?”

“Love? ……. Oh, mannnnnnn. you’ve got girl trouble???” Toby asked in that overexcited way that makes Aaarrrgghh want to smile as much as frown. “Never thought you’d ask me for dating advice.”

“Not girl, trouble, or dating. Troll, mating, and not know.”

“Wait, trolls screw? Wait, nevermind, don’t answer that. Well, maybe later. For now, what kinda love are we talking?” Toby paused his rapid fire speaking for a moment, “Hang on, I don’t think I’ve seen you hangin’ out with any other trolls but Blinky. Are you hiding a secret paramour~?”

“Pair-a-more?”

“Yeah, buddy, like a- a lover or someone you want to be a lover.”

“Lover?”

“Like, someone you do the dirty deed with.” The troll looked clueless, so Toby continued, “Yanno, making whoopie? Hanky panky? Knockin’ boots? Doing the no pants dance?” Aaarrrgghh, still confused, looked down at his own pantsless state. “Aaarrrgghh, sex. Mating? Let’s back up, do trolls have sex?”

Aaarrrgghh nodded his agreement. “No lover, no secret.”

“No secret? So you like Blinky? That shouldn't be an issue, you guys have been close since forever! You like him, he likes you, no problem!”

“Like is love?”

“Yeah, kinda. It’s like…. like like. Like…. like plus! There’s like regular like, which is like regular friends, like Claire and Mary, and then there’s friend love like me and you and Jimbo! Where you can talk about anything, no matter what. And on top of that is the most specialest of all, love~. That’s high end, top tier, affection and lust and care and safety all wrapped into one, the one (or more, no judgement) that you want to commit to spending the rest of your life with. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, and it sucks, but then you find the right one! and everything is perfect around them, and they’re the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen and they say the most wonderful things, and they walk like an angel and they put up with all your quirks and you help them with theirs and you’re happy to, because making them happy makes you happy.” Toby clearly stopped talking in the abstract several ‘and’s ago, staring dreamily into the distance, thinking about his girl.

“All that needed for love?”

“Nah, bud. That’s just like, ways love shows itself. I’m sure you’ve got your own ways, and Blinky does too!”

Aaarrrgghh let the thoughts tumble in his head, collecting similar tangents and letting them come to their conclusions with little to no conscious direction. “Humans mate for life?”

“If you mean like marriage, then yeah. Well, usually. Mmh, I guess that’s more like the ideal? But if you mean sex, I haven’t tried it, but it doesn’t seem to take very long usually.”

A soft, resonant hum flows from Aaarrrgghh’s body as he gives the matter some thought. “Thanks, Wingman.” The large troll ruffles Toby’s hair fondly.

“Anytime! You can come to me with anything, you know?” Toby leans close, a conspiratorial look in his eyes and hushes his voice like it’s a secret. “Especially if you want a wedding planner~”

Aaarrrgghh nodded acceptance, and they turned back to their game, Aaarrrgghh’s heart and mind more settled. He thought he should get some trollish answers before moving forward though.

o0o0o

At a loss for who to ask, Aaarrrgghh went to Vendel’s office. The elder of Troll Market noticed him after only a few moments. “Ah, Aaarrrgghh, What brings you to my office?”

“What love?”

“Love? If you are bringing the question to me, you must feel that you cannot ask Blinkous?” Aaarrrgghh’s silence was answer enough. “Love is for you to decide. If you feel strongly enough to claim Blinkous as your mate, do not allow anyone else’s definition of love stop you.” Vendel paused, about to dismiss him, but continued, “If you are considering that, speak with him. Do not allow it to fester and do not allow a negative response to your courting to come between your friendship.”

“Like Blinky. Don’t know love Blinky.”

“Figure it out. Figure it out with him.” Vendel turned, clearly dismissing him.

Aaarrrgghh left Vendel’s office to wander back to his Blinky. His Blinky? His mind circled the thought warily. When had he become this possessive of him? Aaarrrgghh couldn’t remember, but he found that he didn’t want to change it. He found Blinky walking back to their library. The smaller troll smiled up at him. “Welcome back, my oversized friend.” As Blinky reached out to rest a hand on his friend, he squeaked. Aaarrrgghh lifted Blinky up and settled him on his shoulders. Blinky relaxed, cuddling down in his warm fur. Relaxing at the warm welcome, Aaarrrgghh carried him to their destination. He laid down in the library, allowing Blinky to climb off and shelve his new books and trinkets. Blinky finished his round, one book left in his hands, and came to lay against Aaarrrgghh, getting comfortable against his fur. Both relaxed together, enjoying the closeness. Blinky read, and Aaarrrgghh thought.

"How Blinky court?" Aaarrrgghh broke the silence after a while.

"Hm? Oh, courting, hm…” Blinkous slowly closed his book and held it in his lap, giving the matter some thought. “I would tailor my efforts to the troll I was courting. In general, I would start with gifts, small things I’d noticed they were in need of, then increasing to handmade or larger things. Perhaps offer assistance in times of duress. More than that, I would find excuses to spend time with them.. dine with them.. .. bring them into my home………" Blinky slowly trailed off. He looked up at his friend's face. "Perhaps I was subconsciously courting you, Aaarrrgghh. I suppose it does make sense. You saved my life, and we fit very well together. Do you feel courted?"

Aaarrrgghh hummed a low note. "Want Blinky as _mate_."

Blinky softened, curling a hand around his new _mate_ 's face. "I believe I would like that as well." He closed all six of his eyes and rested his forehead against Aaarrrgghh's with a soft happy sigh.

**Author's Note:**

> I might make this a cute little series about these two, I dunno yet.


End file.
